Lantern-holder



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

WWB- OOU'LTER. Lantern Holder. No. 235,129. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

u] MUM WITNESSES I INVENTOR I ATTORNEY (No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. B. OOULTERV Lantern Holder.

No. 235,129. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

W TN'ESSES INVENTOR ATTONEY' N. PETERS H IOT0-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D10.

(No Model.)

3Sheets-Sheet 3. W. B. GOULTER.

Lantern Holder.

Patented Dec. 7,1880.

mvmr'ron linemen STATES IPArnN 'r Crates.

\VILLIAM B. COULTER, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

LANTERN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 235,129, dated December '7, 1880.

Application filed August 12, 1680. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B.COUL1ER, of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lantern Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices for attaching lanterns to carriages and other. vehicles, and is designed to provide a lantern-h older of simple and durable construction, and of few parts, easily operated, and capable of being manufactured and supplied to the trade at a comparatively light cost.

\Vith these ends in view, my invention 0011- sists, first, in the combination, with a hook for supporting a lantern, of a depending rod adapted to engage with the body of the lantern and retain it against lateral displacement.

My invention further consists in the combination, with a hook adapted to support a lantern, of a hinged or pivoted rod adapted to engage with the lower portion of the lantern.

My invention further consists in the combination, with a hook (one or more) for supporting a lantern, of a folding rod and a lantern provided with a perforated skirt, through which the free end of the rod is inserted, substantially as set forth.

My invention further consists in the combination, with a bracket having lantern-supporting hooks secured thereto, of a rod pivoted to the bracket, said rod being provided with an enlarged bearing at its upper end, and a spring arranged to engage with said enlarged head or hearing and retain the rod in its open or closed position.

My invention further consists in the combination, with a bracket constructed with seats and depending lugs, of a rod pivoted to said lugs, and a spring the ends of which are supported on the bracket-seats.

Myinvention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts,

as will hereinafter be described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an elevation of a globular lantern as suspended by its air-tubes from my holder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of my holder. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4: is a view showing the reverse or under side of the holder. Fig. 5 is a modification of the hinged rod in detached view. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a lantern as suspended byits bail or handle from my improved holder, and Fig.

6 shows a detached view of the hinged rod.

Let A designate a lantern suspended by its air-tube B from hook C of the lantern-holder, and secured against lateral displacement by the hinged rod D, which latter, in the construction shown,is adapted to extend through a perforation, b, in the skirt [1 forming the lantern-standard.

E is a bracket, made preferably of malleable iron or of other suitable metal, according to the manner in which the device is to be finished, said bracket being adapted to fulfill the 7 5 threefold function of providing means of securing the device to a carriage or other vehicle, of offering support for the detached hooks, and of forming suitable bearin g for the hinged rod and its engaging-spring. T-shaped projections A, constituting a part ofthe bracket E, are formed both sides thereof, and are provided with perforations at a, for the admission of screws which serve to secure the holder to the vehicle to which it is attached. 8 5

The hooks C, which, as here shown, consist of a single piece of wire bent to form two depending arms or hooks, are held between the surface to which the holder is attached and the holder by the arms 0, which latter are provided on their under sides with grooved flanges b, said grooved flanges being arranged to receive and clamp down upon the connecting portion or arm 0 between the two hooks C, and also to raise the bracket E suffi- 9 5 ciently high from the surface to which it is secured to allow the spring F to be depressed when the hinged rod D, with which it engages, is opened or closed.

f, constructed at each end of the open slot D, formed in the center of bracket E.

A seat for the spring F is formed by flanges 10o Depending lugs E, formed on each side of and midway of the length of the slot 1), receive in pivotal adjustment the bearings d, placed on each side of the enlarged head or hearing G of the rod D, said rod being retained in open or closed position, as desired, by the tensile power of spring F, exerted on the bearing-head G thereof. lfit is wished to decrease the tension of the spring, it may be accomplished bylaterally grooving thebearing-head G, and therebylessening its engaging-surface with the spring F, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. 7

When the lantern-holder is in use and has a lantern attached thereto, the rod will be in opened position, extending downward, and engaging with the cage or skirtof the lantern, to preventitfrom lateral displacement. When, however, the holder is not being used, the rod may be put in its horizontal or closed position, in which it is retained by the tension of the spring, and where it is entirely out of sight and out of the way. \Vith some forms of lantern it may be found necessary to bend the rod to conform to their shape.

The lantern-holder was primarily intended to be secured to the bottom of a carriage or other vehicle; but it is clear that without material changes in form or construction other than bending the hooks at ditt'erent angles, it may be adapted to secure a lantern to the dash or other part of a "ehicle, as may be found convenient and expeditious.

The (lifticulty heretofore met with of attaching lanterns to vehicles is the liability, if not permanently attached, of becoming disenga god and broken. Besides this, they are open to such swinging movement that they are often extinguished. I have entirely overcome these objections by producing a lantern-holder of such construction and operation as to allow a lantern of any ordinary construction to be easily and temporarily attached to any vehicle provided with my improvement, and yet be secure against displacement and against lateral or swinging movement. Moreover,

whenthe holder is not in use it may be readjusted to be out of sight and annoyance.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. The com biuation, with a hook for supporting a lantern, of a depending rod adapted to engage with the body of the lantern and retain it against lateral displacement, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a hook adapted to support a lantern, ot a hinged or pivoted rod adapted to engage with the lower portion of the lantern, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a hook for supporting a lantern, ot' a folding rod and alantern provided with aperforated skirt, through which the free end of the rod is inserted, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a bracket having lantern-supporting hooks secured thereto, of a rod pivoted to the bracket, said rod being provided with an enlarged bearing at its upper end, and a springarranged to engage with said enlarged head and retain the rod in its open or closed position.

5. The combination, with a bracket constructed with seats and depending lugs, of a rod pivoted to said lugs, and a spring the ends of which are supported on the bracket-seats, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a pair of hooks adapted to engage with the air-tubes ot' a lantern, of a depending rod adapted to engage with the body of the lantern and retain it against lateral displacement, substantially as set forth.

7. A lantern-holder adapted for attachment to the under side of a wagoirbody, and provided with means for suspending a lantern by the air-tubes, and also with a depending device to engage thelantern and secure it against lateral displacement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

VILLIAM l3. GOULTER.

Witnesses HENRY HUTCHINSON, BENJ. F. HAwLnY. 

